To which the host of the event in Leicester Square smiled back: “We won’t go there!”

The music guru, 53, who put the band together, was the calmest man there.

Simon Cowell made his first public appearance in the UK since the baby scandal story

“This is like a dream come true ... I feel like a father!”

Simon Cowell

He broke off from his holiday on a luxury yacht in the Med to support “his boys” on their big night.

Simon, in sunglasses, said of the crowds mobbing the lads: “This was worth breaking up my holiday for. I can’t see this ever being beaten or repeated, I’ve never been involved with any band as big as this.

“I can’t see how we could ever top it. They are just a very special bunch of lads who deserve all they get.

“I dreamt as a kid that maybe one day I could produce a movie so this is fantastic. Hopefully it won’t be the last one.”

But he refused to be drawn on baby names. Asked if Harry was among those he liked best, he said only: “I’m not answering that.”

Simon took old flames Mezhgan Hussainy, 38, and Sinitta, 49, with him to the star-studded screening.

But his pregnant lover Lauren Silverman, 36, stayed at home in New York.

Louis gets in for a pic with one of his fans

Sinitta said: “These boys are special and it’s been a joy to see them grow up and work with them.”

The screams were deafening when the band finally appeared on the red carpet.

Five thousand Directioners packed the famous London square and many had camped out for days to get a prime spot.

Police battled to keep control as the fans, wielding their camera phones, surged towards the Fab Five.

The frenzied scenes had not been seen in Britain since the Beatlemania of the sixties.

Harry, in a black shirt decorated with big white hearts, said: “This is just amazing. You never imagine that things will get to this level.

“And our fans are the ones who made it happen. It’s incredible.”

Zayn poses with an overjoyed fan

The 93-minute movie follows their life on the road and is set to rake in £50million worldwide.

The lads are also being tipped for a BAFTA.

One Direction superfans Dani Pring, 16, and Natasha Dearn, 15, were the first in the queue, camping in Leicester Square since Sunday.

Student Dani, from Birmingham, said: “We’ve been singing, we’ve been trying to sleep, we’ve made friends with girls from Wales, Holland, London.

“I wanted to get as close to One Direction as possible. They’re different from all the other boy bands. They’ve stayed true to themselves.”

Student Kamara Munro, 18, from Manchester, arrived at 3am yesterday with her pals.

“Harry’s my favourite, he’s just so cool,” she said.

Director Morgan Spurlock said: “This is probably the closest I’ll get in my lifetime to seeing anything similar to Beatlemania.”